Snapshot 1768 – Ben Franklin’s thoughts on the poor…

April 7, 2025 by · Leave a Comment 

I am currently reading “Benjamin Franklin: An American Life” (by Walter Isaacson), and often struggle to put it down. One of the many new things I’ve learned about Franklin: he was always a “work in progress”. Many of his views on significant topics of the day changed over his lifetime – often as a result of his ongoing quest for new information. He was certainly the poster-child for a “life-long learner”.

Two among these adjustments were his thoughts regarding the capabilities of blacks (specifically slaves), and his royalist (devotion to England) inclinations – both which morphed into positions more in line with current thought. However, one stance which stood the test of time and adjusted only microscopically (if at all) was his strong posture towards personal industry – regardless of one’s societal rank. If you were poor, you should work to the best of your abilities in all you do. If you were wealthy, your industry should overflow into looking for ways to contribute to the betterment of society – which included caring for those who were less fortunate. While he was always compassionate toward those at the bottom of the economic ladder, he was also a firm believer in the mantra: “If you don’t work, you don’t eat.” He was convinced that handouts to those who were not industrious would only inspire others to join the ranks of the lazy. As harsh as this sounds, his attitude towards those who personally consumed the bulk of their own abundance was no less gracious.

While he spoke on this topic quite often, he put his thoughts to paper through a letter printed in The Gentleman’s Magazine for April, 1768: “Hardheartedness to the Poor Considered”. As was often the case, he signed it using one of his many pseudonyms (Medius). The entire letter is shown below. Whether you agree with his stance or not, one can not argue that he was being vague.

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Filed under: Food for Thought, Noteworthy Issues, The 1700's
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